The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 4 eBook

Vaisampayana continued, “Beholding the Kurus
ready for battle, Arjuna addressing Matsya’s
son in words suitable to the occasion, said, ’O
charioteer, restrain thou the steeds at such a point
whence my arrows may reach the enemy. Meanwhile,
let me see, where, in the midst of this army, is that
vile wretch of the Kuru race. Disregarding all
these, and singling out that vainest of princes I
will fall upon his head, for upon the defeat of that
wretch the others will regard themselves as defeated.
There standeth Drona, and thereafter him his son.
And there are those great bowmen—­Bhishma
and Kripa and Karna. I do not see, however, the
king there. I suspect that anxious to save his
life, he retreateth by the southern road, taking away
with him the kine. Leaving this array of car-warriors,
proceed to the spot where Suyodhana is. There
will I fight, O son of Virata, for there the battle
will not be fruitless, Defeating him I will come back,
taking away the kine.’”

Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed, the
son of Virata restrained the steeds with an effort
and turned them by a pull at the bridle from the spot
where those bulls of the Kuru race were, and urged
them on towards the place where Duryodhana was.
And as Arjuna went away leaving that thick array of
cars, Kripa, guessing his intention, addressed his
own comrades, saying, ’This Vibhatsu desireth
not to take up his stand at a spot remote from the
king. Let us quickly fall upon the flanks of
the advancing hero. When inflamed with wrath,
none else, unassisted, can encounter him in battle
save the deity of a thousand eyes, or Krishna the
son of Devaki. Of what use to us would the kine
be or this vast wealth also, if Duryodhana were to
sink, like a boat, in the ocean of Partha?’
Meanwhile, Vibhatsu, having proceeded towards that
division of the army, announced himself speedily by
name, and covered the troops with his arrows thick
as locusts. And covered with those countless
shafts shot by Partha, the hostile warriors could not
see anything, the earth itself and the sky becoming
overwhelmed therewith. And the soldiers who had
been ready for the fight were so confounded that none
could even the flee from the field. And beholding
the light-handedness of Partha they all applauded
it mentally. And Arjuna then blew his conch which
always made the bristles of the foe stand erect.
And twanging his best of bows, he urged the creatures
on his flagstaff to roar more frightfully. And
at the blare of his conch and the rattle of his car-wheels,
and the twang of the Gandiva, and the roar of
the superhuman creatures stationed on his flagstaff,
the earth itself began to tremble. And shaking
their upraised tails and lowing together, the kine
turned back, proceeding along the southern road.’”